A Royal Conundrum

Lisa Yee is an award-winning author who is known for writing middle-grade novels that often feature misfit protagonists and their efforts to navigate personal challenges and complete journeys of self-discovery. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Yee credits her upbringing in a multicultural environment for strongly influencing her storytelling, particularly her portrayal of diverse characters and themes of identity, belonging, and resilience (“About Lisa Yee.” Lisa Yee). Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in advertising, owned a creative products company, and wrote for television. As of 2025, Yee has published 22 works, primarily in middle-grade and young-adult fiction.

Yee’s debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius (2003), won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award. This story follows an academically gifted but socially awkward girl who is struggling to connect with her peers. This theme of feeling like an outsider recurs throughout Yee’s works and is prominently featured in The Royal Conundrum, in which protagonist Olive Corbin Zang grapples with loneliness and a lack of belonging until she joins a group called the Misfits. Like Millicent Min, Olive is intelligent and resourceful, but she struggles with isolation, and her journey toward greater friendship and teamwork becomes a central focus of the novel.

Yee also explores issues of identity and cultural heritage in works such as Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time (2005) and Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) (2009). Her commitment to greater representation is reflected in her penchant for crafting authentic protagonists—especially Asian American characters—whose struggles reflect her own experiences of growing up as a Chinese American in the United States. In The Royal Conundrum, Olive’s bond with her grandmother, Mimi, serves as a significant acknowledgement of intergenerational relationships and cultural ties: themes that Yee has also explored in her previous books.

Yee is also the author of the DC Super Hero Girls series, which focuses on young superheroes like Supergirl and Wonder Woman. The Royal Conundrum also reflects this influence, particularly in the dynamics of the Misfits. Although Olive and her companions lack superpowers, characters like James and Phil nonetheless hold echoes of Batgirl and Bumblebee, while Iggy and Olive’s physical abilities parallel those of Katana and Batgirl. While DC Super Hero Girls focuses on supernatural heroes, the Misfits illustrate the idea that determination, intelligence, and teamwork allow ordinary individuals to take on extraordinary challenges.

In 2022, Yee published Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, her most decorated work, which won the Newbery Honor Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and several other accolades. Like Olive, Maizy deeply connects with her grandparents, who guide her in understanding her heritage. Thus, with this succession of emotionally realistic characters and dynamic narratives, Lisa Yee has established herself as a prominent voice in children’s literature, and she has a reputation for exploring universal themes of identity, belonging, and resilience while celebrating the richness of diverse cultural experiences. Her protagonists range from awkward geniuses to everyday heroes, and they all navigate the complexities of self-discovery and find their place in the world.